A Penn State Berks study reveals that stroller running reduces vertical impact per step, which may lower overall injury risk for parents. However, it also increases torsional forces, highlighting a new dynamic in the biomechanics of running.
Parents who take to the streets with a jogging stroller might be doing themselves a favor. A recent study by researchers from Penn State Berks has shown that running with a stroller significantly reduces the impact per step, lowering the potential risk for injuries.
Although pushing a stroller during a run feels more demanding and changes a runner’s biomechanics, the study found an important benefit.
The 38 healthy participants, who ran at least five miles per week and were injury-free, demonstrated a reduction in vertical loading metrics by 8% to 17% when running with a stroller.
“While there are a lot of data on running economy and effort, this is the first to look at how loading forces change with stroller running,” senior author Allison Altman Singles, an associate professor of kinesiology and mechanical engineering, said in a news release. “Understanding this ‘biomechanical trade-off’ could inform stroller design, coaching strategies, as well as injury prevention and rehabilitation protocols for those who run with strollers.”
The study, published in the journal PLOS One, addressed key forces that contribute to common overuse injuries, including vertical and torsional loading — the twisting forces that occur as the foot pushes off the ground.
Excessive vertical loading is linked to injuries such as knee pain, stress fractures and plantar fasciitis.
“When we’re running with a stroller, we unweight ourselves vertically because we put our hands on the handlebars and lean into it a little. That allows some of our weight to shift and go through the stroller instead of our legs,” Singles added.
However, the study also identified a trade-off.
Torsional loading metrics increased significantly with stroller running, with some measures rising more than four-fold.
The researchers suggested that the act of holding the handlebars could limit the natural rotation of the upper body, increasing twisting forces under the feet to compensate.
Additionally, keeping the stroller moving in a straight line and propelling it forward may require more twisting forces.
While these increased torsional forces could raise concerns, Singles noted that torsional loading is less established as an injury risk factor compared to vertical loading metrics.
With further research and potential improvements in stroller design, the increased torsional forces could be mitigated.
“The number one takeaway is that stroller running is not dangerous. This study shows that, in many cases, you have a reduced risk of overuse injury because of the stroller itself,” added Singles.
The research team plans to continue studying the biomechanics of stroller running and its implications for injury types among stroller runners.